University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2000 Montana Story Tour, the story of Our Town| Developed and sponsored by the Montana Repertory Theatre Company, a professional equity theatre company in residence at the University of Montana-Missoula, Department of Drama/Dance Michael A. Johnson The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Johnson, Michael A., "Montana Story Tour, the story of Our Town| Developed and sponsored by the Montana Repertory Theatre Company, a professional equity theatre company in residence at the University of Montana-Missoula, Department of Drama/Dance" (2000). 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Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY The University of Montana Permission is granted by the author to reproduce this material in its entirety, provided that this material is used for scholarly purposes and is properly cited in published works and reports. **Please check "Yes" or "No" and provide signature** Yes, I grant permission No, I do not grant permission Author's Signature/ Date: Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only witfi the author’s explicit consent. 8/98 The Montana Story Tour, The Story of Our Town: developed and sponsored by The Montana Repertory Theatre Company a professional equity theatre company in residence at The University of Montana- Missoula Department of Drama Dance An Examination of a Practical Drama Artist in Residency Project by Michael A. Johnson B.A. Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1986 Post Graduate Certification Secondary Drama and English, Augsburg College, 1988 Presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts The University of Montana June, 2000 Approved by: Chairperson Dean Graduate School zzZj/ / cn:>___ Date UMI Number: EP35267 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI EP35267 Published by ProQuest LLC (2012). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code uesf ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Michael A. Johnson, Master of Arts June, 2000 Drama- Teaching The Montana Story Tour, The Story of Our Town; an examination of a practical drama artist in residency project Chairperson: Randy Bolton The Montana Story Tour, the story o f our project town used drama as a teaching and learning tool to extend the creative, performance, and study possibilities of collected oral histories. Nineteen Montana junior and senior high schools participated in the residency project. Oral histories collected by students in grades six through twelve were used as a basis for participation in a process of skit and performance development. By using drama as a development and performance tool teachers and students saw that: 1) The dramatic arts strengthen and enliven the learning process through the use of the multiple intelligences. 2) Participation in the dramatic arts allowed students to learn and express ideas through the use of symbol systems which communicate ideas and culture. 3) The Montana Story Tour, the story o f our provided town an opportunity for students to learn and develop techniques of performance and design. 4) The project also provided an opportunity for students to learn with and from community members thereby instilling in the students a deeper appreciation for historic place, time, and character The project was sponsored by The Montana Repertory Theatre Company a professional equity theatre company in residency at The Department of Drama Dance, The University of Montana- Missoula. The project was funded by grants from: The National Endowment for The Arts, the Montana Cultural and Aesthetic Coal Tax Fund, the Montana Arts Council, and US West. Special Thanks To: The Montana Repertory Theatre Company a professional equity theatre company in residence at The Department of Drama Dance University of Montana- Missoula Greg Johnson, Artistic Director MaryAnn Riddle, Administrative Assistant Steve Wing, Production Manager Shaun Gant, Educational Outreach Coordinator Shelly Reed, Fellow Artist and Educational Outreach Instructor Sharon LaBonty, Chairperson, Northeastern Arts Network Glasgow, Montana 111 Table of Contents Page Description vi Preface 8 Inspiration 10 The Idea 11 Planning 13 An Ideal Workshop 37 Unique Elements 49 Where do we Fit 53 Observations 62 Recommendations 63 References 64 Additional References 66 Index to the Appendix IV List of Tables and Illustrations Page Description 67 Selected Photographs 74 Glasgow High School Course Offerings Data 75 Schools Visited 76 Drama Courses Offered by Schools Visited Preface Two students crawl on the floor. They are close together; they crawl forward as if animals. Another student climbs on their backs— knees in the most uncomfortable location. This is now the performance of their ideas. Fleeting, quick and rich with invention. The other student becomes a cowboy. He grabs the imaginary reins. The horses grunt and grown. They strain at the pull of the weight behind the wagon. It is a wagon that we can not see, yet it is there. We learn from the cowboy that: “We need to pull this outhouse over to the railroad tracks. Come on boys. ” Another character enters the scene. She is participating in the prank. Later, the actors who had represented the horse transform into friends as well. The group hides behind a building which is created only in the minds of the actors and the audience. One actor becomes the train which emerges in the distance. A whistle is blown. The train is coming. The pranksters react with glee. “This is going to be great! ” Suddenly, the train reaches the outhouse which is represented by a trash can on the floor o f the cafeteria. The trash can erupts with violence and sound. The students see the outhouse, the audience sees the outhouse. It is destroyed. “Wow, That was great. Oh, it stinks. ” The students come forward— this is the end of their scene. An educator says, “Come on and take your bow " The students line up. They bow. Two other adults say: “That was great. Nice work. ” I looked over to see that the elder who told the story is in the room. She came earlier to share some more stories with the class. There are tears in her eyes. The kids are curious. They ask: “How was” A that? smile crosses the elder’s face; she says while she laughs: “That was great. That’s just how Ifelt, too. ” ' I would leam later that the elder felt embarrassed to have shared this story with the students as she looked at the prank as an illegal and punishable act. She had basically kept this story a secret from people other than her closest friends and family for years. Now, not only the students knew the story but also two artists and a teacher as well. By tomorrow, the story would probably be all over school and then back to parents in homes by kitchen tables at dinner. I would also leam later that pranks were common around Montana. In Stevensville, for example, a group of adolescent pranksters burned an 'Adapted by the author from a performance in Moore, Montana on March 8, 2000 VI outhouse on main street on Halloween night and also stuck a cow in a church over the weekend. Hence, when we saw this touching reaction from the elder storyteller, I think several things were going on. First, the elder is proud to see her story dramatized. Secondly, she knows these students as fellow community members who will share her story with others. However, she is embarrassed. The story is a private mischief. It is not meant that everyone in the community know that she did these things in her youth. Thirdly, the elder sees this story as part of her history. As silly as the skit is, it nevertheless represents a moment from this elder’s life which is precious on many levels. To share such a story is a gift even if the story might seem laughable. Indeed, this story was common among teenage pranks throughout the communities of Montana in the 1930's and 1940's. Savage, Montana did not have indoor plumbing, for example, until 1963 when a local restaurant installed an indoor toilet. It is within this framework of illuminating the history of Montana through personal stories that The Montana Story Tour: the story o f our sought town to fulfil the mission statement of The Montana Repertory Theatre as: tell[ing] the great stories of our world to enlighten, develop and celebrate the human spirit in an ever-expanding community. The work of The Montana Rep reflects, and contributes to, the ideals and values of that community.^ ^From, “The Montana Repertory Theatre: Mission and History” a public relations handout of the organization. Available from The Montana Repertory Theatre Company, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812. vii Inspiration Four years ago I was involved, as director, in a production of More Precious Than Gold.